Why I Go Outside

I've always loved being outside.

Some of my earliest memories are of picking flowers and listening for frogs when I was just a tiny thing. I also remember going on nature walks with my grandma. We'd wander without any real destination, just enjoying whatever we found along the way. I don't remember feeling rushed. We simply noticed things—wildflowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, and whatever else happened to cross our path.

My dad shared a different side of the outdoors with me. He taught me and my brothers how to live off the land and took us hunting and fishing. Those days taught me to appreciate nature in a different way and gave me a respect for the outdoors that has stayed with me ever since.

Looking back, I think my family gave me a lifelong love of being outside without ever realizing it.

While other kids wanted to be doctors, firefighters, or teachers, I remember dreaming about becoming a landscape designer. I loved gardening and even spent time working in landscaping. Looking back, I guess I've always been happiest with dirt on my shoes and sunshine on my face.

These days I'm older, but not much has changed. I still find every excuse I can to get outside.

Photography actually came much later.

I started taking pictures as part of my job as a marketing manager for an RV resort company. At first, my photos were terrible. I remember looking at them and thinking, Wow... these are really bad.

So I did what I usually do when I wanted to learn something. After work, I'd take online photography courses, then grab my camera and head to a local park to practice. Birds, flowers, dragonflies, turtles... it didn't matter. I just needed something to photograph.

Somewhere along the way, photography became more than just learning camera settings.

It became my reason to go outside.

Now I can't imagine life any other way.

When I'm outside, I don't think about work, responsibilities, or all the little worries that seem to follow us around. The stress just seems to melt away.

By the time I head back to my car, I always feel lighter somehow. Like I hit a reset button.

Every bird, turtle, dragonfly, frog, or little surprise I come across feels like a bonus. I never know what I'm going to find, and I think that's part of what keeps me coming back.

These days I grab my camera and head for the nearest trail, boardwalk, or creek. The funny thing is, sometimes I don't even take many pictures. The camera gives me a reason to slow down, but once I'm there, it's everything else that keeps me.

I notice things I probably would have walked right past before. The way sunlight filters through the trees. The breeze moving the cattails. The sound of frogs hidden somewhere in the marsh. The call of a bird I can't quite see.

Sometimes I just put the camera down.

I let the sunshine warm my face, feel the breeze on my skin, and listen.

For a little while, nothing else seems quite as important.

Maybe that's what those walks with my grandma were teaching me all along.

I think that's why I created Always Creekside.

Yes, I love sharing my photographs, but what I really hope people find here is a reason to step outside. You don't have to be a photographer. You don't need an expensive camera. You don't even need to know the names of the birds.

Just go.

Slow down.

Look around.

You might be surprised by what you've been missing all along.

Before you head out...

Whether your favorite memories come from childhood walks, a quiet afternoon at the park, or simply sitting outside on your porch, I hope you find a little time to reconnect with nature this week.

Find something beautiful in the world today.

— Sandra